Saddle handle attachment



July 27, 1965 H. B. MOKEEN, JR 3,196,595

SADDLE HANDLE ATTACHMENT Filed July 22, 1964 iu Te INVENTOR. HUGH B. HcKEE/V JR.

A rromvfys United States Patent Office 3,196,595 Patented July 27, 1965 3,196,595 SADDLE HANDLE ATTACHMENT Hugh B. McKeen, Jr., Glenwood, N. Mex. Filed July 22, 1964, Ser. No. 384,372 4 Claims. (CI. 54-46) The present invention pertains to a saddle attachment, and more specifically, to a handle for conveniently attaching to a western-style saddle.

On ranches, specifically in the southwestern part of the United States, where open-range conditions exist, it is frequently necessary to gain access to areas that can only be reached on horseback. Since modern vehicles are utilized in most instances, the inaccessible areas (inaccessible to modern vehicles) present a problem only during a very short period of time during the year. Therefore, the horses normally kept on the ranch are not ridden frequently and are usually not trained to the extent that they are completely reliable. Horses trained in this manner may be ridden, but are relatively undependable especially if they are confronted with an unusual occurrence such as a loud noise. Further, when riding such animals in rugged terrain, they are likely to become frightened at suddent movements, noises, wild animals, etc. Horses of this type are usually referred to as green broke and are generally not considered dependable or sumciently experienced for serious work.

Since modern ranching does not permit the rancher to take the requisite time to sufficiently train his horses, it becomes a matter of having to use green broke horses and assuming the risk of being thrown. The present invention is intended to alleviate this problem by providing a convenient and readily attachable handle to a western-style saddle. While the saddlehorn on a western saddle may be grasped quickly and in many instances may prevent the rider from being thrown, it nevertheless is ineffective if the rider is thrown forward or violently to one side; therefore, the device of the present invention permits the rider to secure his seat against practically all eventualities when riding a green broke horse.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a saddle attachment that can readily be grasped by a rider to aid him in maintaining his seat.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a saddle attachment that can readily be removed from the saddle and placed on another saddle.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a saddle attachment that, while being removable from one saddle and placeable on another, will nevertheless r adjust to a variety of types of western saddles as well as a variety of sizes and configurations.

Other advantages and objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description thereof proceeds; the present invention may best be described by referring to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an illustration of a saddle attachment constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention and mounted on a western-style saddle.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective View of the saddle attachment of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the saddle attachment of FIGURE 2 taken along line 3-3.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a western saddle is shown having the usual saddlehorn 10, pommel 11, seat 12, and cantle 13. The saddle attachment of the present invention is shown including a handle member 15 having a loop including a curved portion 16 and a relatively flat portion 17. The fiat portion 17 is padded to protect the riders knuckles and may be padded with such con- 2 ventional materials as sheepskin or foam rubber. The handle 15 is secured to the saddle horn and the pommel 11 by straps which may more conveniently be described by referring to FIGURE 2.

The handle includes an integral handle strap 20 for passing underneath the pommel of the western saddle.

As in all western saddles, an opening is provided in the front portion of the seat 12 so that the saddle may be carried by a person simply by placing his hand over the pommel 11 and through the opening provided in the seat. The handle strap 20 passes through this opening in the seat 12 and terminates in a loop that may be sewn to a suitable buckle 21. The handle is secured to the seat-side of the pommel with a locking strap 25 which passes through a pair of loops 27 and 28 sewn onto the back of the handle 15. The locking strap is adapted to pass over the top of the pommel and to meet the handle strap 20 at the front underneath portion of the pommel. The buckle 21 may then be used to draw the handle strap and locking straps into secure locking arrangement.

The locking strap is also provided with a loop 30 that can readily be enlarged to slip over the top of the saddlehorn 10. The loop 30 may then be drawn up tight by pulling the locking strap through the metal ring 31 to thereby secure the handle against lateral movement. The saddle attachment secured to the saddle in the manner shown provides a handle that will not slip sideways and is securely fastened to the pommel of the saddle. The handle, formed with the one curved side and the one flat side sufiiciently protrudes to enable the rider to quickly grasp the handle and also provides the padded flat portion so that in the event that the horse throws the rider forward, his knuckles will not become bruised or skinned.

Referring to FIGURE 3, it may be seen that the handle 15 may be reinforced at the curved portion 16 by several layers of leather sewn together. The sheepskin 17 may be sewn to the flat side of the loop before or after the loop has been formed. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many different arrangements of leather strapping or padding may be used to achieve the same general configuration as that described in the present embodiment.

The saddle attachment of the present invention fits all western saddles and is equally secure on all of the saddles regardless of size or type. For example, the westernstyle saddle shown in FIGURE 1 may generally be known as a cutting saddle having relatively sharp pommel corners; however, the saddle attachment of the present invention is equally suitable to other varieties of westernstyle saddles such as, for example, roping saddles having sharply sloping pommels so as not to interfere with a rope.. It will be obvious to those familiar with saddlery and tack that many modifications may be made in the embodiment chosen for illustration without departing from the scope of the invention, and therefore it is intended that the present invention be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A saddle attachment comprising:

(a) a handle member,

(b) a handle strap integral with and extending from one end of said handle member for passing underneath the pommel of a western-style saddle,

(c) a locking strap secured to and extending from the opposite end of said handle member for passing over the top of the pommel of a western-style saddle and including a loop therein for encircling and gripping the saddle horn of a western-style saddle, and

(d) buckling means for securing said handle strap and said locking strap to each other to secure said attachment to a saddle.

2. A saddle attachment comprising:

(a) a handle member,

(b) a handle strap integral with and extending from one end of said handle member for passing underneath the pommel of a Western-style saddle,

(c) a locking strap secured and extending from the opposite end of said handle member for passing over the top of the pommel of a western-style saddle and including a metal ring to permit a loop to be formed therein for encircling and gripping the saddle horn of a Western-style saddle, and

( d) buckling means for securing said handle strap and said locking strap to each other to secure said attachment to a saddle.

3. A saddle attachment comprising:

(a) a handle member including a leather loop having one fiat padded side to be positioned adjacent the seat-side of the pommel of a western-style saddle, and a curved side opposing said flat side,

(b) a handle strap integral with and extending from one end of said handle member for passing underneath the pommel of a western-style saddle,

(c) a locking strap secured to and extending from the opposite end of said handle member for passing over the top of the pommel of a western-style saddle 2 and lncludmg a loop therein for encircling and gripping the saddle horn of a western-style saddle, and

(d) buckling means for securing said handle strap and said locking strap to each other to secure said attachment to a saddle.

4-. A saddle attachment comprising:

(a) a handle member including a leather loop having one flat padded side to be positioned adjacent the seat-side of the pommel of a Western-style saddle, and a curved side opposing said flat side,

(b) a handle strap integral with and extending from one end of said handle member for passing underneath the pomrnel of a Western-style saddle,

(c) a locking strap secured and extending from the opposite end of said handle member for passing over the top of the pommel of a Western-style saddle and including a metal ring to permit a loop to be formed therein for encircling and gripping the saddle horn of a Western-style saddle, and

(d) buckling means'for securing said handle strap and said locking strap to each other to secure said attach ment to a saddle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 447,723 3/91 Forker 54-45 X 531,580 12/94 Weeks 5446 865,576 9/07 Duncan 54-46 1,926,420 9/33 Renfro 541 2,153,326 4/39 Grouter 5444 SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SADDLE ATTACHMENT COMPRISING: (A) A HANDLE MEMBER, (B) A HANDLE STRAP INTEGRAL WITH AND EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF SAID HANDLE MEMBER FOR PASSING UNDERNEATH THE POMMEL OF A WESTERN-STYLE SADDLE, (C) A LOCKING STRAP SECURED TO AND EXTENDING FROM THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID HANDLE MEMBER FOR PASSING OVER THE TOP OF THE POMMEL OF A WESTERN-STYLE SADDLE AND INCLUDING A LOOP THEREIN FOR ENCIRCLING AND GRIPPING THE SADDLE HORN OF A WESTERN-STYLE SADDLE, AND (D) BUCKLING MEANS FOR SECURING SAID HANDLE STRAP AND SAID LOCKING STRAP TO EACH OTHER TO SECURE SAID ATTACHMENT TO A SADDLE. 